Potter Crawl Lets South Florida Muggles Get Their Wizard On

South Florida locals need no official letters from Hogwarts to experience some wizarding magic this weekend. Instead, Muggles who are 21 or older can gather in Brickell Saturday night for the second annual Potter Crawl. This bar-hopping event was inspired by Harry Potter books and films, and aspiring wizards can sip on drinks that fit within the fandom. This event is hosted by Miami Bar Crawls, and participants receive one free drink at each of the five participating venues.

Juan Marcos Rancaño and Antar Sosa are co-partners and founders of Miami Bar Crawls. According to Marcos Rancaño, the duo was inspired to produce a Potter-themed crawl because of the community surrounding the franchise.

“We know there is a huge community for Harry Potter fans, so we put together this bar crawl for them to enjoy,” he said.

Crawlers will begin their night at Blackbird Ordinary, where everyone must register before they can get started. Decorations and games will greet attendees as they check in and receive their drink vouchers, and fans can quench their thirst with a Blackbird bourbon butterbeer, the bar’s featured drink for the evening.

The Potter Crawl is different from other types of bar crawls, where participants usually stay in a group and are shuttled from one place to another. This crawl gives fans more flexibility in regard to how they spend their evenings. Once Potter enthusiasts receive their vouchers, they are free to explore the five participating venues as they please. There are no crawl leaders that they have to follow from one place to another. Additional bars that will be participating in this whimsical event include American Social, Batch Gastropub, Barú Latin Bar and RedBar Brickell.

In addition to receiving a free drink at each of these locations, the bars will also be offering wizards-to-be additional food and beverage discounts. Some places are even brewing up speciality drinks for the night, including Barú Latin Bar and its “Unicorn Blood” cocktail and Batch Gastropub’s “Dragon’s Fire” cocktail.

While attendees are not required to wear any particular robes on this tour, crawlers are encouraged to embrace the wizarding world and arrive in costume. Jerry Pennington, Blackbird Ordinary’s general manager, said he is most looking forward to seeing the fans’ creativity displayed in their costumes this year.

“When people dress in costumes, it just makes it that much more fun,” he said.

All of the bars are within walking distance from one another, so crawlers can leave their cars at home. Attendees who do not live in the nearby area should arrange transportation for after the crawl instead of driving themselves. Having a designated driver or using a ridesharing service are both great options.

Potter Crawl. Register between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, January 26 at Blackbird Ordinary, 729 SW First Ave., Miami; miamibarcrawls.com. Tickets cost $15-$20 via eventbrite.com.